Directing the Lake Tahoe summer project has been a very difficult experience for us. With the arrival of Jacob and Joshua, we were not able to be at the project full-time as we had anticipated.

Instead, I (Dave) found myself commuting from Davis to Tahoe every week to meet with the staff, teach at the weekly meeting and meet with the administrator. As you can imagine, this made for a very tiring and draining experience.

After 5 weeks, the staff left the project, which means I have been able to be at home full-time, helping Jen take care of our boys.

On August 13th, Jennifer and I will be heading back up to Tahoe for one final time to close down the project.

Even though it was a difficult experience for us, we know that the 79 students and 24 staff all had incredible summers.

One student in particular who has been an encouragement to me is Zach.

I met Zach in May when his mother came to speak at our UC Davis Spring Retreat.

You might remember 2 years ago that several students died in a bonfire accident at Texas A&M University. Zach’s brother was one of the students who died in that tragic accident.

Unfortunately, the accident has taken its toll on Zachary and his family.

The death of his brother hit Zach pretty hard and he turned away from the Lord for a period of time.

As I talked to Zach in May, it was apparent to me that he had turned the corner and was returning back to the Lord.

We had one more spot for a guy on the project and though Zach has never been involved in Campus Crusade, I challenged him to spend his summer in Tahoe on the project.

The night before the staff left, we had an open mike time where many students expressed their appreciation for the staff and for what God had done in their lives during the summer. Here is what Zach said:

“On my application, I had done everything that you could possibly do to get disqualified for coming on a project. But Dave asked me to come anyway and I’m so glad that he did. This has been an incredibly life-changing summer.”

After several students expressed feelings similar to Zach’s, I stepped up to the microphone.

“As Jen and I tried to decide who should be on this project, we didn’t look at where you’ve been, but instead, we were concerned with where you’re going. It’s not an accident that each and every one of you is here this summer. You’re here because you wanted to walk more closely with Jesus and allow Him to use you more than you ever could have imagined.”

By God’s grace, in spite of the fact that Jennifer and I were not even at the project for most of the summer, students’ lives have been changed. We are so thankful that God works in spite of our shortcomings and also that God is not concerned with where we’ve been as much as He’s interested in where we’re going.

Thanks for your continued prayers for us as we’ve endured a situation that is less than ideal.

God has definitely blessed us with Jacob and Joshua. On August 6th, they were 12 weeks old. They are doing great.

In mid July we took them in for their 2 month checkup and for their first wave of immunizations.

Both babies weighed about 9 lbs. 4 oz. We are not certain of their current weight but we are sure that both boys must be over 10 and a half pounds.

Jennifer and I are experiencing many sleepless nights and we are anxious for the day when both Jacob and Joshua will sleep through the night.

We are especially praying that this will happen before we start back on campus in mid-September.

Right now, we are trying to expand the time between feedings to 4 hours instead of 3 hours.

Jacob and Joshua are beginning to be more alert and notice the things around them. They especially like to look at the painting that is hung above the living room couch.

They are responding more to our voices and are learning how to smile. After they are fed, it’s fun to play with them and get them to smile. It absolutely melts our hearts to hold and care for these two precious individuals whom God has entrusted to our care.

Thank you for your fervent prayers for us during our long wait for children. The Lord has indeed answered our prayers.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord’s wisdom as new parents.